The case of Manuel is one of the largest and bloodiest which exists in Spanish prisons. The revenge of the prison-system is clearly reflected in his case. Manuel Pinteño is one more of many prisoners with long-life-sentences in the jails of the Spanish state.
Manuel was born in Elda (Alicante, Andalucia), he is 49 years old, has 6 children, mother, sisters... A family of humble provenience who can't afford a lawyer. Manuel has had always (State) office-lawyers who never did a favorable defense for him.
This 20th of June will be the 30th anniversary of his imprisonment, and there are more than 34 years if we count everything (22 years of this time he spent in FIES - isolation custody). His last out-going to the streets was in the year 1986 when he escaped for 4 month and 10 days; from that time until today he never did a step back to the street (21 years). In all this 30 years he just spent 7 month out of prison, the time when he escaped...
Manuel is one of the participants of the prison-riot of Fontcalent in 1990, which was a period of a lot of struggles, because of the dangerous situation which were suffering the prisoners in this moments. Because of missing solutions, Manuel was presenting a denouncement against Antonio Asunción (Director of the Prison-System) and Angel Yuste Castillejos (who later will be his successor and was really responsible for all of what happened over there). Before this event, in the year 1988-89, Manuel received a visit (years later it was known that there were members of GAL = paramilitary killer-commandos of the Spanish state), who propose to Manuel to start a riot with the result of death of the political prisoner Domingo Traibiño (who was in prison for the bomb attack in Hipercor-market of Barcelona), but no official should be hurt and in trade he will get better prison-conditions and soon the freedom.
Manuel didn't accept and kicked them out in bad manner, but 7 or 8 month later they came back with the same proposal, but this time they wanted to end the life of Enri Paro el Unay. For not accepting again, they respond: "You lost a great opportunity to come out soon of the prison, we will cause you a brutal eradication of your family and you will rot here inside".
The causes of Manuel have been always just for smaller crimes against property, his largest sentence was about 6 years. But his rebel character inside the prison, his struggle for social-demands, his 30 (!) escape attempts (some of them successful), were enough to gain a lot more years inside the prison. The riot which happened in 1990, before it was known the outcome of the trial in 1993, the court of Alicante, without any demand, made a recasting of his sentences in four blocks, resulting in 3 condemnations of 18 years and one more of 6 years and 8 month. In total 60 years!!
Apart from that they deny systematically permission for parole, adding that he didn't yet serve the 3/4 of his sentence. In January 2006, 16 years after the riot, Manuel was sentenced in a trial farce to 80 years of prison; this sentence would begin in 2026 when he will have served his previous sentences... in total adding the old and new sentences, it results in 90 years of prison for Manuel!!!
There's an appeal against the sentence of the prison riot, but the answer needs maybe 2 years and Manuel can't resist all this time more. His health, physically and mentally is on the limit and no-one knows how much time he will sustain without doing something crazy... something which provokes the prison-system.
He calls for help and solidarity, he wants to publicise his voice which is the only way of struggle in these moments. The revenge is the only reason to retain Manuel and to sentence him to a long-life isolation and death!
FREEDOM NOW FOR MANUEL PINTEÑO!!!
His address:
Manuel Pinteño,
C.P. Alicante II, Modulo 2,
Carretera Nacional 330, km 66
03400 Villena (Alicante),
Spain
Abajo los muros de las prisiones!!! The struggle continue!!!
ABC-CNA BILBAO